2003-04 Greenville College Catalog

Traditional Program - General Education

All degrees require students to complete General Education courses. These courses are divided into two categories: Core and Distributed. Core requirements are those that are deemed to be fundamental to the Christian liberal arts focus of Greenville College. The content of these courses compels students to think about ideas from interdisciplinary perspectives. The Distributed requirements are offered in a variety of fields. They are required for two reasons. First, they are designed to help students develop essential skills that are attributes of all well-educated people such as critical thinking and communication skills. Second, they provide students with introductions to the humanities, the natural sciences, the social sciences, and physical fitness. These courses are designed to give students knowledge of and respect for the wholeness of God’s creation and human efforts to understand that creation.

General Education Requirements
The General Education requirements for each degree are presented in the table following the explanation of the Core and Distributed requirements. The table indicates that there are different requirements for students seeking B.A., B.S., and B.M.E. degrees. There are also different requirements for students who arrive to Greenville College’s campus with less than 60 hours of credits, those with 60 or more hours of college credit, and those with an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. Because the different degrees and different categories of students result in a diverse set of requirements, students are advised to study the table and read this section carefully. They should also speak with their advisors about their specific General Education requirements.

When specific courses are required of students they are listed in the table. For example, the specific course COR 401: Capstone Seminar in Advanced Integrative Studies is listed in the table. The “X” in each column of the table indicates that this specific course must be taken by all students who seek to graduate from Greenville College, regardless of their status when they enter and regardless of the degree that they seek. Detailed descriptions of these and all courses offered at the College are listed alphabetically in the Undergraduate Course Listings later in Catalog.

Sometimes specific courses are not required. For example, the table shows that a Cross Cultural Course or Experience is required of all students who seek a degree from GC. They do not have to take a specific course entitled “Cross Cultural Course or Experience.” Instead, they may choose from a variety of courses that fulfill this requirement. These are listed and explained below. (View Chart of CORE Requirements & Distributed Requirements - 13K .pdf)

Core Requirements – Courses fundamental to the Christian liberal arts focus of Greenville College.

Most students are required to take four Core courses. These include COR 101: Cornerstone Seminar: Foundations in the Liberal Arts Tradition (3 credits); COR 102: Introduction to Christian Thought and Life (3 credits); COR 201: Foundations of Science (3 credits); and COR 401: Capstone Seminar: Advanced Integrative Studies (2 credits).

Transfer students who arrive at Greenville College with 60 or more credits or an A.A. or A.S. degree are exempt from taking COR 101 and COR 102. However, these transfer students still must take COR 201 and COR 401. Their first fall semester on campus they must also take COR 301: Liberal Arts and Christian Thought (3 credits).

Distributed Requirements – Courses that promote skill development and provide introductions to the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and physical fitness.

Required Courses: The faculty requires most students to take five specific General Education courses in addition to the Core. These include COM 101: Speech Communication (3 credits); ENG 101: Research and Writing (3 credits); HPR 101: Wellness: Basic Concepts (1 credit); HPR 102: Wellness: Physical Fitness (1 credit); and HST 101: Western Civilization (3 credits). Students arriving on campus with an A.A. or A.S. degree are not required to take these courses. B.M.E. students are not required to take HPR 102 but must take all others.

Required Areas of Study: Students are required to study in a number of additional areas in order to complete their General Education requirements. These are areas of study as opposed to specifically required courses. In each of these areas, students may choose among a number of different course options. These are listed by area below.

Biblical Studies
All students, except those entering with an A.A. or A.S. degree, must complete the Biblical Studies requirement. They may do so by taking any three-credit course designated as a Biblical Studies course, (a course that focuses on a particular biblical genre, book, or testament of the Bible). Currently, the following courses can meet this requirement:

• REL 205: Old Testament Survey
• REL 215: New Testament Survey
• REL 270: Wisdom and Poetic Literature of the Old Testament
• REL 321 Pentateuch
• REL 322 Prophets
• REL 352 Pauline Epistles
• REL 353 Synoptic Gospels

Other courses (such as REL 199 or 399 open-titled courses) may also fulfill the Biblical Studies requirement. Students interested in these alternative courses must check with their advisors and the Records Office to ensure that they will fulfill the Biblical Studies requirement.

Cross-Cultural Course or Experience
All students are required to have a minimum of one course or experience that engages them in extensive cross-cultural (CC) learning. A course may meet the cross-cultural learning requirement either because of its content or because of the context in which the course is offered. Meeting this requirement does not necessarily mean taking an extra course. These CC courses may be either within or outside the major or may meet another General Education requirement. CC courses may also be specially designed for Interterm and May Term courses. A student may also fulfill the CC requirement by participating in one of the international programs of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) or similar pre-approved study abroad experience.

All CC courses or experiences must meet five or more of the eight criteria listed below. The course must:

1. Focus on a cultural group or groups other than the predominant culture group of the United States.
2. Provide a significant knowledge base regarding a different culture or cultures and, in so doing, emphasize the importance of developing a comprehensive worldview.
3. Explain ethnocentrism and its role in the development of perceptions and reality.
4. Focus on the alternative views of reality and perceptions of the cultural group(s) studied: beliefs, values, customs, language, non-verbal communication, etc.
5. Include the study of the accomplishments of the culture(s) being considered.
6. Strive to develop empathy toward the group or groups studied.
7. Address the issues of cultures in conflict between and within nations.
8. Develop an understanding of social and cultural change.

Current catalog courses that meet the CC requirement include:

Foreign Language
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree who enter Greenville College without an A.A. or A.S. degree must complete the foreign language requirement. To do this, they must demonstrate “intermediate” competency in French, German, Spanish, Greek, Latin, or some other approved foreign language. They can demonstrate their competency by passing three semesters (12 credit hours including courses numbered 101, 102, and 201) of one of the languages listed earlier, or by passing a proficiency examination at the intermediate level. Students should consult the Head of the Department of Modern Languages for more information about competency testing.

Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPR) Activities
Most students pursuing B.A. or B.S. degrees must complete two HPR activity credits in order to graduate. HPR activities courses are usually 0.5 credit courses offered for seven weeks of each semester. Students may choose from a variety of courses, including HPR 200 Leisure Sports, or any HPR course numbered 202-205, 212, or 213, entitled Individual or Team Sports.

Students who enter with an A.A. or A.S. degree are not required to complete the HPR activities requirement. B.M.E. students and those pursuing a B.S. in any of the eight secondary education programs are only required to complete one credit of HPR activities. One of the activities courses must include Self-Defense.

Students participating in a varsity sport or cheerleading for a complete season may waive one credit of the activity requirement. Students who participate in more than one varsity sport may waive a maximum of two credits in this manner. Varsity athletes or cheerleaders do not earn HPR activity course credit for their athletic participation, they waive the activity requirement. In other words, participation in a varsity sport or cheerleading does not help student accumulate credits towards graduation but will help them fulfill this requirement. The waiver applies only to HPR activity credits, not HPR 101 or HPR 102 requirements.

Veterans or students over 25 years of age when entering Greenville College may also waive the HPR Activity credits. The HPR 101 and HPR 102 requirements still must be completed. This only applies to students entering Greenville College for the first time.

Only two credits of HPR activities courses may be applied to the graduation requirement of 126 credits.

Literature
Most students pursuing B.A. or B.S. degrees must complete the Literature requirement by successfully completing a three-credit multi-genre literature course. Students who transfer to Greenville College with A.A. or A.S. degrees are exempt from this requirement. Students pursuing a B.M.E. degree can meet the Literature requirement in conjunction with the Biblical Studies requirement described earlier.

Courses that fulfill the literature requirement include ENG 201: Introduction to Literature and ENG 243: Masterpieces of World Literature. It is highly recommended that student majoring in Early Childhood, Elementary, and/or Special Education should take ENG 350: Children’s Literature. Students pursuing B.S. degrees in one of eight secondary education programs may fulfill this requirement by completing ENG 351: Adolescent Literature. Other approved multi-genre literature courses not listed here may also fulfill the Literature requirement; contact the head of the English Department for more information.

Mathematics or Quantitative Reasoning
All students except those entering Greenville College with A.A. or A.S. degrees must complete the mathematics or quantitative reasoning requirement. These courses are offered for either three or four hours of credit. Any mathematics course numbered 101 or higher will meet the requirement, as will PSY 202: Statistics or SOC 202: Statistics (both three credits).

Laboratory Science
All students except those entering Greenville College with A.A. or A.S. degrees must complete at least one laboratory science course. Students pursuing a B.A. or B.S. degree in any area other than in secondary education must also complete a second laboratory science course. Laboratory science courses are three or four credits.

When students are required to take two laboratory science courses, they must ensure that they are from two different departments. The list below provides a guide for identifying natural science courses taught in the appropriate departments:

The table above shows that students can complete a requirement for two laboratory science courses by taking, for example, SCI 101 and SCI 104, because SCI 101 is a biology course and SCI 104 is a chemistry course. Students cannot complete the requirement for two laboratory sciences by taking, for example, SCI 102 and SCI 105, because both of these are taught in the Physics Department. Students should consult the Records Office or their advisor whenever they are confused about which science courses will allow them to complete the laboratory science requirement.

Philosophy
All students except those entering with an A.A. or A.S. degree must complete the Philosophy requirement. They may do so by taking any three-credit course in philosophy. All Philosophy courses are designated by the prefix PHL. Typically, students will take PHL 201: Major Issues in Philosophy, PHL 250: History of Philosophy I, or PHL 251: History of Philosophy II.

Psychology
All students except those entering with an A.A. or A.S. degree must complete the Psychology requirement. They may do so by taking any three-credit psychology course except PSY 202: Statistics. Often students take either PSY 101: General Psychology, or PSY 220: Psychology for Living to complete this requirement.

Sociology
Students completing a B.A. or B.S degree in an area other than secondary education must fulfill the Sociology requirement unless they enter Greenville College with an A.A. or A.S. degree. This requirement can be fulfilled by the successful completion of any three-hour Sociology course except SOC 202: Statistics. Students typically take SOC 101: Principles of Sociology, SOC 103: Social Problems, or SOC 112: Anthropology to complete this requirement.

Upper-Division Writing Intensive Course within a Major
All students must complete an upper-division "Writing Intensive" (WI) course within their major field of study. These courses fulfill the General Education requirement for a Writing Intensive course, but, because they fulfill major requirements as well, do not increase the required credit hours for General Education. The courses listed below are WI courses:

• ART 353: Art History: The Twentieth Century
• BIO 410: Seminar in Biology
• CHM 409: Seminar in Chemistry
• CIS 365: Computer Science Theory
• COM 410: Communication Seminar
• EDU 305: History and Philosophy of Early Childhood Education
• ENG 456: English Seminar
• HST 305: Twentieth Century America
• MGT 409: Business/Economics Seminar
• MTH 212: Linear Algebra
• MUS 310: Music History II
• PHL/REL 310: Philosophy of Religion
• PHY 409: Seminar in Physics
• PSY 350: Psychological Systems
• SOC 380: Sociological Theory
  

Last updated: June 19, 2003